LACEY, Wash. — Eastern Oregon Women's Soccer secured their second victory of the season, earning a hard fought 1-0 victory over Saint Martin's University Thursday afternoon.
The matchup proved to be a physical battle from the opening whistle, with the first foul coming just two minutes into play. The Mountaineers and Saints remained closely matched throughout the opening half, with Saint Martin's holding a slight 5-4 advantage in shots. Eastern, however, held the edge in shots on goal. The physicality continued throughout the half, with EOU committing eight fouls while drawing six. Goalkeeper Elysa Morse made three saves to keep the Saints off the scoreboard and send the game into halftime tied at 0-0.
Both teams came out of the break with an aggressive pace, trading fouls in the opening minutes of the second half. Eastern nearly broke through in the 55th minute when Peyton Jacaway sent a shot off the crossbar. The Mountaineers continued to control the momentum, recording seven shots in the second half with five finding the target. Eastern's defense stood strong on the other end of the field, limiting the Saints to just two second-half shots while Morse added two more saves to preserve the shutout.
As the pressure continued to build, Erin Kelley, Ava Henkemeyer, and Gracie Rainsberry each generated scoring opportunities, forcing Saint Martin's goalkeeper to make three saves. Eastern finally broke through in the 84th minute when Cassidy Harding found the back of the net for her first career goal. Holly Dorhauer provided the assist, giving the Mountaineers a 1-0 advantage with just minutes remaining. Eastern's defense held firm through the final minutes, securing the victory and the Mountaineers' second consecutive shutout.
Eastern Oregon finished the afternoon with an 11-7 advantage in total shots and an 8-5 edge in shots on goal. Harding and Dorhauer led the Mountaineers offensively with the game-winning goal and assist, while Morse anchored the defensive effort with five saves to record her first career shutout in her EOU debut. With the win, the Mountaineers improve to 2-0 to open the 2026 season.
Eastern Oregon will return to action Wednesday, Sept. 2, traveling to Lebanon, Tennessee, to face Cumberland University. The Mountaineers will continue their southern trip Saturday at the University of Tennessee Southern before wrapping up the trip Monday at Bethel University.